Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-01

sat liviA al thoughtful. Finally came
pause in Ianuols bombardmcnt, and some
thing like this conversation took place be-
tween tho cooler actors:
Miguel houghtfully)-When was it thou
didst petition for lands in the valley, friend
Victorl
Victor (ama7edly)-Neverl 1t is q sterile
waste Am a fooli
Miguel (softlyl-Thou didst. OF thy gov
ernor, Micheltorena. have seen the appli-
cation.
Victor beginning to appreciate q rodential
odor)-Sil I had forgotten. Art thou suro 1t
was in the valley7
Miguel psrsuasively)- the valley and up
the falda.*
Victor with sion)-Certainly. OF
veritv-the falda likewise.
Hfi~uel (eyeing Victoi1-And yet thou hadst
not the grant. Painful is it that it should
have been burned with the destruction Of the
other archives by toe Americanos at Mon
terey.
Victor cautiously feeling his way)-Pos-
iblemente
Miguel-It might be wise to look into it.
Victor (bluntly)-As whyf
Miguel-For our good and thine, friend
Victor We bring thee a discovery; thou
bringest us thy skill, thy experience, thy gov
rnment knowledge-thy custom house pa
pert
Manuel (breaking in drunkenly)-But for
whats We are Mexicans Are wo not fatedI
We shall lose. Who shall keep the Amsri-
amos offl
Miguel-We shall take one American inl
Hal seest tnoul This American comrade
hall bribe his court, his corregidores. After
Ilittle lie shall supply the men w''n invent
the machine of steam, the mill, the furnace,
chi
victor-But who is he-not to steali
Miguel-He is that man of Ireland, good
Catholic, at Tres Pinos.
Victor and Manuel (omnes)-Roscommoni
Miguel-Of the same. We shall give him
ashare for the provisions, for the tools, for
the aguardiente. 1t is of the Irish that the
Americanos have great fear. It is of them
that the votes are made-that the president
is chosen. It is Of him that they make the
alcalde in San Francisco And we are Of the
church, like him.
They said "Bueno" all together, and for the
moment appeared to be upheld by religious
enthusiasm-a joint confession of faith that
meant death, destruction and possibly for
gerry, as against the men who thought other
wise.
This spiritual harmony did away with all
practical consideration and doubt. II have
little niece, said Victor, ''whose work with the
pen is marvellous If one says to her, Gar
men, copy me this or the other one'-even If
it be copper plate-look you it is done, and
you cannot know of which is the original
Madre de Dios! the other day she makes me
rubric* of the governor, Pho Pico, the same,
Identical Thou knowest her Miguel She
asked concerning thee yesterday"
With the embarrassment of an underbred
man, Miguel tried to appear unconcerned,
but failed dismally. Indeed, I fear that the
black eyes Of Carmen had already done their
perfect and accepted work, and had partly
induced the application for victor's aid. He,
however, dissembled SO far as to ask:
GBut will she not knows"
@She is child"
9But will she not talk7'
mot If say nay, and II thou-eh, Miguelr
This bit Of flattery (which, by the way, was
q lie, for Victor's niece did not incline favor
ably to Miguel had its effect. They shook
hands over the table. "But," said Miguel,
3what is to be done must be done now." aAt
the moment" said Victor, "and thou shall see
it done. Eh? Does it content thee7 Then
comei"
Miguel nodded to Manuel "We will re-
turn in an hour; wait thou here"
They fled out into the dark irregular street.
Fate led them to pass the Office Of DR.. Guild
at the moment that Concho mounted his
horse. The shadows concealed them from
their rival, but they overheard the last in.
functions of the president to the unlucky Con-
cho.
"Thou hearesta~ said Miguel, clutching his
companions arm.
eyes" said Victor. "But let him ride, my
friend; in one hour we shall have that that
shall arrive years before him" and with
complacent chuckle they passed unseen and
unheard until, abruptly turning corner,
they stopped before a low adobe house.
It had once been a somewhat pretentious
dwelling, but had evidently followed the for
tunes of its late owner, Don Juan Briones,
who had offered it as last sop to the three
headed Cerberus that guarded the Ell Refugio
Plutonean treasures, and who had swallowed
It in a single gulp. It was in very bad case.
The burrows Of its red-tiled roof looked as Il
they were the results Of age and decrepitude.
Ih best room had q musty smell; there waa
the dampness Of deliquescence In its slow do
cay, but the Spanish Californians were sensi.
bic architects, and its massive walls and par.
titions deAed the earthquake thrill, and all
the year round kept an even temperature
within.
Victor led Miguel through low ante room
into plainly furnished chamber, where Car.
man sat painting.
Now Mistress Carmen was q bit of
painter, in pretty little way, with all the
vague longings Of an artist, but without,
fear, the artists steadfast soul She recog.
nized beauty and form as a child might, with.
out understanding their meaning, and some,
how failed to make them even interpret her
woman's moods, which surely were natures,
too SO she painted everything with this in.
nocent lust Of the eye-fowers, birds, insects,
landscapes and figures-with joyous fidelity,
but no particular poetry The birds never
sang to her but one song, the flowers or trees
spake but one language, and her skies never